Production of lubricants for textiles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRODUCTION OF LUBRICANTS FOR TEXTILES Ivor M colbeth, East Orange, N. J., asslgnor to The Baker Castor Oil Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application August 31, 1938,

Serial No. 227,685

6 Claims. (Cl. 25252) This invention relates to the production of oil -si derably above room temperature even in the that is particularly useful as a softening agent presence of moisture, and it can be cheaply manor lubricant for textile products although its use ufactured. is not limited to this particular purpose. In carrying out this invention castor oil isso Heretofore objections and difliculties have been treated that a product is obtained therefrom encountered when diiierent sorts of oils have been which has been found to possess the characteris- 'used as lubricants for textiles. Among the obtics mentioned above that make it particularly jections that have arisen have been the developsuitable as a lubricant for textiles without the ment of rancidity in the oils or discoloration of objectionable features heretofore encountered.

the textiles by the oil or both. Some of the oils The castor oil is so treated that the hydroxy that have been used for this purpose are difllcult groups therein are first removed therefrom by deto remove, some arequite expensive and some do hydrating the castor oil until its iodine value is not possess the desired lubricating properties. about 140 whereupon the ricinoleic acid radicals Olive oil has heretofore proven to be one of therein become linoleic acid radicals. This may the most satisfactory oils for lubricating textiles be done in the ways already known such, for exas it possesses great lubricating power which enample, as by treating it with a non-oxidizing min- 15 ables the fibers that are lubricated with it to slide eral acid or other catalyst as mentioned in my over each other quite easily, and at the same application Serial No. 210,428 flied May 27, 1938.

time its viscosity, specific gravity and iodine value After the castor oil has been dehydrated it is 2 are such as to make it suitable for this purpose. hydrogenated to such an extent that the iodine However, olive oil is not entirely satisfactory value is reduced to between 80 and 90. This may as a textile lubricant. Some of the objections be accomplished, for example by treating the deto it are: it is not colorless as it contains iron hydrated product with hydrogen at atemperature and chlorophyl so that there is a tendency to stain of about 250 C. under pressure. In this way the the fabric, especially white fabrics; it possesses a linoleic acid radicals are changed for the most noticeable odor that is not pleasing to everyone part to oleic acid radicals, or an isomer thereof,

so that the use is objectionable where the odor or one of the two double bonds in the molecules is offensive; the source of supply of olive oil is of the dehydrated productissaturated. An anallargely in foreign countries and the price thereof ysis of the product obtained in this way shows varies considerably from time to time; and it conthat it is not a mixture made up of molecules tains about 10 to 20 percent of stearin which having stearic and linoleic acid radicals theresometlmes crystallizes or hardens in cold weather in, but product Obtained by h ating one thus giving rise to the presence of objectionable of the do b e bo ds o the molecules w t u ysolid particles in the lubricant which interfere droge a s the other one.

with its smoothness. This oil or dehydrated hydrogenated product is 35 Castor oil has also been used as a lubricant for 01 V y light 00101 and contain-S y littlev y textiles but is not entirely satisfactory for this stearic acid radicals. It does not become yellow purpose because it will become rancid due to oxiwith age and can not be easily oxidized so that dation that forms by-products such as peroxides. it does not become rancid. Even if it became oxi- 40 'By the present inventlona lubricating oil for dized the products of oxidation are stable and free 0 textiles is economically produced which possesses from odor, due to the fact that a hydrocarbon, the desirable lubricating qualities of olive oil withwhich is odorless, is split off instead of an aldehyde out its objectionable properties and is free or subwhich has an unpleasant odor. stantially free from the presence of impurities This 011 can be satisfactorily used 'as a lubrithat would injure or discolor fabrics or interfere cant for textiles and is free from the objections 5 s with the lubricating properties of the oil. The encountered in the use of other oils used for this lubricating oil for textiles produced by this inpurpose. It can be sulfonated to form water soluvention has about the same viscosity, specific v ble products, or it can be saponifled, and the regravity and iodine value as olive oil, and at the sulting products used for the same purpose, or it same time it does not become rancid. it is light can be mixed or emulsified with mineral lubri- 50 in color or practically water white and does not eating oil and used as a textile lubricant. These become yellow with age so that it will not stain products do not contain iron or chlorophyl or fabrics, it is free from ingredients that form crysother coloring materials and can be removed from tals or hard particles at lowered temperatures, the textile materials by means of soap or alkaline it does not become oxidized at temperatures conmaterials. 55

About 85% of castor oil consists of the glyceride of ricinoleic acid which has one double bond and an hydroxyl in its molecule. The dehydrating step appears to remove the hydroxyl and convert the ester into the glyceride of linoleic acid which has two double bonds, and the hydrogenation step appears to saturate one of the two double bonds in each linoleic acid residue in this ester thus converting it into the glyceride of oleic acid or an isomer thereof, with very little it any of the glyceride of saturated acids such as stearic acid or of the glyceride of acids having two double bonds such as linoleic acid therein.

What is claimed is:

'1. A lubricant for textiles and the like comprising dehydrated castor oil having one of the double bonds of each acid group saturated.

2. A lubricant for textiles and the like comprising dehydrated castor oil that has been subjected to about a fifty percent hydrogenation.

3. A lubricant for textiles and the like comprising dehydrated castor oil that has been hydrogenated until its iodine value is between about 80 and about 90.

4. The process of producing a lubricant for textiles and the like which comprises dehydrating castor oil and hydrogenating the dehydrated product until saturation of one of the double bonds of each acid group takes place.

5. The process of producing a lubricant for textiles and the like which comprises dehydrating castor oil and hydrogenating the dehydrated product until it is about half saturated.

6. The process of producing a lubricant for textiles and the like which comprises dehydrating castor oil and hydrogenatlng the dehydrated product until its iodine value becomes between about 80 and about 90.

IVOR M. COLBE'I'H. 

